let's be real on this-- Marty's teams always
always ALWAYS choke in the playoffs. that was definitely a factor in why he was fired. 2 straight years of choking in a looooooooong epic history of massive chokes. from a blog:
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1985
8-8, but the 1st of 3 straight Div titles for Marty... also the first of oh so many playoff disappointments... a 21-3 lead wasn't good enough in MIA (apparently Dan & Marty talked it over & decided that Marino didn't like to choke until at least the AFC championship game)
1986
12-4, the divisional week was survival for CLE in a 2OT battle @ home vs the wildcard Jets. Next week: first of 2 straight AFC Championship games vs Elway... in Cleveland, up 7, waning minutes, w/ Elway pinned @ his own 2... THE DRIVE to tie the game w/ 37s left. Browns won the toss in OT but had to punt. Broncos win 23-20
1987
10-5, on the road in Mile High for the AFC Championship: the apparent game-winning TD instead becomes THE FUMBLE
1988
10-6, home game in the Dawg Pound vs HOU: CLE managed a fumble & 3 FGs in the first half.. up 2 late in the game 23-21 Marty's boys threw an INT inside of 2mins to set up the GW FG for the Oilers
1990
11-5, wildcard week in MIA (another playoff choke team of the 90s): Standard Marty Ball.. dominated most of the game up 16-3 blew it in the fourth falling behind 17-16 then (of course) missed a long FG to tie in the last minute
1991
10-6, wildcard week in KC vs the Rams: up 7-6, KC drove all the way down the field, stalled, & kicked the FG to go up 4 then let the Rams take it all the way into the redzone on a 2min drill before getting an INT. won 10-6
Div in BUF got shellacked: standard 4 TOs from Marty. Bono was injured by Bruce "Bad Things, man" Smith. Things were all bad. 37-14 Bills
1992
10-6 but got shutout 17-0 in SD
1993
11-5 record, won the West but no bye. Wildcard week: played PIT in Arrowhead... Marty's boys did everything they could to choke this one up. They fell behind 17-7 for 3 quarters, clawed their way back into it to somehow to miraculously tie the game (thank Joe Montana) then IMMEDIATELY let PIT march right down the field 74 yds for the TD after 2 1/2 shutout qtrs of lockdown def. This game even included the standard missed FG from Marty's boys w/ seconds left that would've won the game. Somehow PIT managed to lose... Marty squeaked it out in OT.
Divisional week: played HOU on the road. Moon joins Marty & Marino as the 3rd "M" choker of the 90s: KC fell behind 10-0 but Moon's Oilers literally fumbled it away in the 4th (at least they weren't up 35-3)
3rd week: KC had no chance on the road in again Buffalo... just like 2 years before, their struggles were exacerbated by the QB (Montana) being knocked out of the game by Bruce Smith (knocked out cold to be exact).
1994
9-7 record, went on the road to MIA again & lost in the standard Marty style... 300+ yds from Montana was wasted w/ two 4th quarter turnovers in the offensive end; a goalline INT & Marcus Allen fumble in FG range.
1995
went 13-3, had the best record in football (sound familiar anyone???), homefield advantage, & the bye week, only to blow it at Arrowhead by a FG 10-7 in patented Marty choke style: 4 turnovers & 3 missed FGs including 2 chipshots to tie in the 4th quarter (one was a 35 yarder for godsakes). Two years of suffering under Marty's playoff ineptness ends for Joe Montana... not what he remembered from SFO
1997
went 13-3, got the bye & homefield advantage again but choked vs Denver IN ARROWHEAD for the love of god, converting just 10 pts from 260 yds passing
2005
12-4 & lose to the lowly wildcard Jets... at home... again... on a short FGA that goes wide.. AGAIN.
2006
Even last year, Schott went for that 4th & 11 rather than kick the FG @ the end of the half... instead Rivers fumbled it & NE kicked a longer FG instead. That could've been the difference (or any of the 4 turnovers). His kicker was lights out all year, but you take the ball away from him in a non-clutch situation then expect him to save the game on a longer kick with the pressure on right @ the end (& all he has is that Jets shank from the 05 wildcard in his head). That is just terrible. |
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In the playoffs he consistently puts players in a position to lose (like Kaeding). And anyone who can take Joe Montana & somehow produce countless TOs & missed FGs in the
clutch is potentially a candidate to get fired.